Students created a portfolio for a mock interview yet they still lacked confidence in interviewing and would sometimes forget to include information they practiced.
Through observation and discussion, 1/13 students(.7%) used their portfolio to obtain success. I want students to feel more confident when interviewing.
In Fall of 2018, students included a "cheat sheet' into their portfolio with specific examples for responses to behavioral questions. We practiced prior to the mock interview event and students gained confidence when using the sheet to respond to interview questions.
There was an increase of students that utilized the cheat sheet during the mock interview. After a self- assessment, 100% 8 out of 8 of the students shared this addition eased their stress level and they felt more prepared than if they did not have the cheat sheet. All 8 students,100%, stated they planned to bring it to future job interviews.
CPD 104 is a Career & Personal Development course. Students prepare for a Mock Interview event to learn how to acquire a career with a successful interview. A career portfolio is an assignment my students complete prior to the Mock Interview. Students would have their portfolios but use it only to give a copy of their resume. Students would also reflect afterwards that they recalled an example they forgot to share when nervous. For fall 2018, I included a cheat sheet into the portfolio, a typed document that has examples for behavioral questions. We discussed not to be afraid to open the portfolios and look at their cheat sheet examples when needed. On the day of the event, 6 out of 8 (75%) of the students reviewed the cheat sheet. 2 out of 8 (25%) answered the questions without using it. After a self- assessment, all 8 students,100%, stated it eased their stress level and felt more prepared than if they did not have it. 100% of the students (8/8) stated they plan to bring it to future job interviews. Next semester I plan to use this for all of my CPD courses.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| cpd-104-interview-cheat-sheet-3.docx | 16.08 KB |
| career-portfolio.docx | 14.27 KB |
Comments
This is awesome!
Hi Monica,
This is a great tool, the cheat sheet, to teach students with interviewing!
This is a great idea! I actually used a "cheat sheet" for my interview. It really helped!
I think the portfolio is a very valuable tool for students' future. Having everything in one place makes for successful job applications and potential interviews. The "cheat sheet" clearly lays out how to respond to STAR (situation, task, action, result) situational questions, but I would not encourage students to use it during an actual interview. I feel that part of the real-world interview process is being able to answer extemporaenously after candidates have thought through and prepared for possible interview questions. For our purposes here at EMCC, the interview is "mock" or for practice, and I think the "cheat sheet" works well in that setting. This portfolio can be a great help to our students in preparing for this event. Thanks for your creative work, Monica!
Great job, Monica. We are always working to make our students more prepared for future opportunities.
This is great! I am interested in using a career portfolio similar to this for my SLPA students to compile while completing their practicum course and this gave me some great ideas! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for taking time to share this with us. In the "real world," students will have access to material to help them be successful. They will not always have everything memorized; I am a huge supporter of little things that will alleviate stress with students. Thank you!